Vehicle parking system



1 March 1, 927 M. MILLER VEHICLE PARKING svswmw Filed March 21, 1925 3Sheets-Sheetl I-NVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS 1,61, March 1,1927. M. MILLER 9360 VEHICLE PARKING SYSTEMFiled March 21, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 'INV ENTOR BY a M Y A TTORNEYSM. MILLER vsaxcma: PARKING SYSTEM 7 iled March 21. 1935 5 She ets-Sheet5 March 1,1927.

. '25 a /9" I I I Q (\3 INVENTOR.

mg} BY N .fiz; v-zl s ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES max MILLER, on NEW YORK, N. Y'.

VEHICLE PARKING SYSTEM.

Application filed March 21, 1925. Serial No. 17,458.

This invention relatesto vehicle parking systems and has for one of itsobjects to provide, in combination with a roadway or other thoroughfare,a means for lifting such ve- 6 hicles as automobiles from the highway toan elevated parking position thereover, thus leaving the roadwayunobstructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved elevatorstructure, by

means of which the automobiles are lifted to elevated parking position,which is so constructed that an automobile may be moved into or out ofelevated parking position with out disturbing such other automobiles asare at a given. instant maintained in their respective elevatedpositions.

Other objects and certain advantages of the invention will becomeapparentfrom the followingdescription when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of anelevator.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation showing in detail certain driving andcontrol mechanisms.

-Figu in Figure 2 as viewed from the right therein. Figure 4 is a planview of the elevator shown in Figure 1. I

Figure 5 is a fragmental horizontal sectional view through one of theposts showing in detail a pair of tracks over which trucks of adjacentplatforms are adapted to travel. Referring to the drawings, the numeral5 indicates an elevator comprising a plurality of vertically movableplatforms 6, each of which is adapted to be raised and lowered independently of theothers by means of suitable mechanism hereafter moreparticularly described. This elevator structure is ar ranged at one sideof a'thoroughfare, as the curb 7 of a street and may be of any desiredlengthextending throughout as many blocks as desired. The elevatorframework comprises a plurality of posts 8 spaced-from each other adistance corresponding to the length of the individually movableplatforms 6. These posts are of the H beam type shown most clearly in Fiure 5, the opposite flanges 9 of the posts eing provided with tracks orguide rails 10 upon which suitable trucks 11 are adapted to operate. 5prise vertically disposed beams 12 to which are connected parallel arms13 carrying rolre 3 is a view of the structure shown I The truckscomlers 14, ada ted to en a and 0 rate 11 n the tracks 18. g ge pe p0The platforms 6 are suitably connected to the trucks 11 and projectoutwardly from the posts 8 a sufficient distance to accommodate anautomobile. In order to guide the the automobile on to the platform,suitable suitable intervals throughout the ength ofthe elevator and arepreferably sup orted upon shelf-like supports or ledges 1 connected tothe posts 8. Each of the motors employed is connected by means of gears18 an 19 to a longitudinally disposed shaft 20 of any desired length.This shaft is suitabl journaled to the posts 8 and carries for eacelevator section or platform 5 a loosely mounted gear 21 adapted to belocked to the shaft through the instrumentality of a suitable clutch 22.The clutch mechanism may be operated by a suitable control 23 mountedupon one of the posts 8 and connected to the clutch by means of a rod24; and lever 25, the lever being adapted to swing about its pivotalpoint 26 when the handle 23 is moved in one direction or the other tolock the gear 21 to the shaft or disengage the same therefrom, asdesired.

Upon the posts 8 are mounted bearings 27 within which are journaled aplurality of shafts 28, there being one shaft for each platform 6 thatis employed. To each of the shafts 28 there is connected 2. gear 29adapted at all times, to mesh with the gear 21. Each of the shafts 28carries also a pair of drums 30, there being one pair of drums to eachmovable platform or section 6. To these drums are connected cables 31which in turn are secured to the trucks 11. From the construction thusfar described it will be appreciated that any one of the shafts 28 maybe operatively connected to the master or drive shaft 20, thus causing adesired platform to be elevated to the exclusion of the others. I

In order to effectively lock the platforms or sections 6 in theirelevated positions after disconnecting the operative connectionestabgermost lishedbetween the shafts 20 and 28 through theinstrumentality of the clutch 22, I em ploy suitable locks, one or morebeing used for each elevator section. --.One of these locks is indicatedby the numeral 32 and shown in Figure 3. The lock comprises a do 33pivotally connected to a crank 34 whic is adapted to be moved againstthe tension of a spring 35 by a lever 36 linked to the crank arm 34 bymeans of a rod 37. As the ele vator is moved from its lowermost to itsup osition the bevelled end 38 of the 0g 33 ri es over the arm 13 and isthereafter moved, under the influence of the spring 35, to the positionshown in Figure 3, thus providing a means for positively locking theelevator section in its uppermost position. When it is desired to lowerthe elevator section the hand lever 36 is so moved as to re tract thedog 33 thus allowing the elevator section 6 to descend.

In order, to control the elevator sections 6 in their downward movementsI have pro vided one drum of each pair thereof with a brake drum 39 withwhich is associated a hand brake 40. This hand brake is adapted vatorsection 6 from the time the same is released and starts on its downwardtravel unpil ilt has been brought to rest at the street eve While I haveshown the elevator structure located at only one side of the street orother highway it is obvious that if desired a similar elevator structuremay be provided for the opposite side of the street thus affordingparking facilities at each side of the highway. The type of elevatorherein disclosed readily lends itself to application in the capacityherein described for the reason that the elevator sections 6 are of thecantilever type and are supported entirely from one side of thethoroughfare, as at the curb of a street, by means of postsso located asto offor no interference whatsoeverto traflic.

In practice attendants may be employed and assigned to a group ofplatforms as operators for the individual sections. The office of theseattendants will be to assign unoccupied elevator sections to drivers ofantomobiles desiring to park their machines. Upon assignment of a givensection the section is lowered by the attendantto the street level byreleasing the dog 33 whereupon the driver runs his automobile on to thesection so lowered. After the passenger or pas sengers have beendischarged from the automobile the attendant, operatively connects theshaft 20 to the shaft 538 throunh the instrunientality oi' the clutch 22and gears 21 and 29, whereupon the platiform 6, together with theautomobile, is elevated to the position of the platform shown in Figure3, the

height. of the platform lacing such as to permit the street or othertrai'lic to readily pass thereunder.

While any ratio of gearing between the source of power and the severalshafts 28 may be employed, I propose to maintain such ratios as willenable the seve 'al platforms to be elevated to their uppermostpositions in a period of appronimately thirty seconds so as to precludethe possibility of unduly obstructing trailicwhile the automobile isbeing lifted to its parking position.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a vehicle parking system, the combination with a roadway, oi? amovable platform adapted to receive a vehicle from the roadway, meanslocated wholly at one side of the roadway for supporting said platform,in its inovably connecting, said platform to upporting means, and meansfor elevatsaid platform with the vehicle thereon to parking positionover the roadway.

:2. In a vehicle parking system, the combination with a roadway, of avertically movable plat-form adapted to receive a vehicle from theroadway, supports for said platform located wholly at one side of theroadway, cantilever means For movably connecting said platform to saidsupports. and means for elevating said platform with the vehicle thereonto parking position over the roadway.

In a vehicle parking system, the combination with a roadway, of avertically movable platform adapted to receive a vehicle from theroadway, supports for said platform located wholly at one side of theroadway, cantilever means for movably connecting said platform to saidsupports, operable means for elevating said platform with the vehiclethereon to parking position over the roadway, and means for controllingthe operation of the latter named means.

4-. in a vehicle parking system, the combination with a roadway, of avertically movable platform adapted to receive a vehicle from theroadway, supports for said plat form located wholly one side of the roadway. cantilever means for movably connectinp; said platform to saidsupports, operable means for elevating: said platform with the vehiclethereon to parking position over the roadway. moans 'loi" coi'ilrollinnthe operalion oi the latter iniiiiivl ins, and means tor inciting saidplatl orln 'atcd position.

5. In a vehicle parking cm, the combination with a roadway, ofavertically movable platform adapted to receive a vehicle from theroadway, supports for said plat-- form located wholly at one side of theroadway, cantilever means for movably connccting said platform to saidsupports, operable means for elevating said platform with the vehiclethereon to parking position over the roadway, means for controllmg theoperation of the latter named means, and braking means for controllingthe movement of said platform from its elevated position to itslowermost position.

6. In a vehicle parking system, the combination with a roadway, of anelevator comprising a plurality of vertically movable platforms each ofwhich is adapted to receive a vehicle from the roadway, means forelevating any one of said platforms with a vehicle thereon to parkingosition independently of the other of said p atforms, support-- ingmeans for said platforms located wholly at one side of the roadway,andmeans for movably connecting said platforms to said supporting means. 1a

7. In a veh'cle parking system, the combination with a roadway, of anelevator comprising a plurality of vertically movable platforms each ofwhich is adapted to receive a vehicle from the roadway, means forelevating any one'of said platforms with a vehicle thereon to parkinging means for said platforms locatedwholly at one side of the roadway,and cantilever means for slidably connecting said platforms to saidsupporting means.

8. In a vehicle parking system, the combination with a roadway, of anelevator comprising a plurality of vertically movable sition independ'ently of the other of said p atforms, supportplatforms each of which isadapted to receive a vehicle from the roadway, means for elevatin vehice thereon to parking position independently of the. other of saidplatforms, and means for controlling the movement of each platform fromits elevated position to its lowermost position.

9. In a vehicle parking system, the combination with a roadwa of anelevator comprisin a plurality o platforms each of which is adapted toreceive a vehicle from the roadway a rotatable shaft common to all ofthe roadway a rotatable shaft common to all any one of said platformswith a said platforms, means for rotating saidshaft, a, group of shafts,elevating means connected to the shafts of said group and to therespective plat-forms, means for selec tively connectin the shafts ofsaid grou to said rotatable s aft to move a given p at-- formindependently of the others to elevated osition, supporting means forsaid plat orms located wholly at one side of the roadway, and cantilevermeans for slidably connecting said platforms to said supporting" means.

' In testimony whereof, I have afixed my signature to thisspecification.

